


happy new year (hope to see you soon)

by biggrstaffbunch



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-03
Updated: 2013-01-03
Packaged: 2017-11-23 11:55:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/621854
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/biggrstaffbunch/pseuds/biggrstaffbunch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which codependency and friendship are nearly synonymous for the boys of One Direction (but aren't they always?) and all the girlfriends are represented and no one is slagged off (even Taylor Swift) and there's a bit of banter but a lot of love. </p><p>Or...a New Year's Eve OT5 fluff piece because honestly, you know they all rang each other the second the clock hit midnight.</p>
            </blockquote>





	happy new year (hope to see you soon)

**Author's Note:**

> Dashed this off in a quick minute, so it's short. But...sweet, I think. For my own OT5 :)

Start the new year how you want the rest of the year to unfold.

It's advice that Liam has heard from his mum countless times before, sweet and a little naive but so _genuine_ that it's always been almost a superstition for Liam. Tonight is no different; there's ten minutes left till midnight hits on the last day of December, and even though there's a slight buzz riding through his veins and a party going on all around him, if he closes his eyes, all Liam can see is the long, daunting road winding ahead of him. 

He squints against the flashing lights and thumping music, and feels inexplicably frantic.

"Hey," he says, catching Danielle by the waist and bringing her close. "You know what?" he whispers in her ear, nosing past a long strand of blonde hair, breathing in the scent of her perfume and the warmth of her skin. "I want 2013 to be amazing." 

Danielle laughs gently, winds her fingers through his. "I'm sure it will be," she responds, giving his hand a squeeze. "Ups and downs and all."

It's acknowledgement of their own ups and downs this year, Liam knows. He presses a kiss to Danielle's jawline, then her throat. "'M hardly gonna see you, though," he says, unable to keep the troubled edge from his voice.

Running a thumb down the stubbled curve of his cheek, Danielle says firmly: "We'll work it out." 

And maybe they will, maybe they won't, but Liam is sure now at least that he wants to keep trying until they simply can't anymore. He's the staying kind, is the thing. Once Liam loves someone, he never falls out of love. It's why time and age and the way people change is just as tragic to him sometimes as it is beautiful.

Somewhere in the din of the party, Andy is doing something remarkably dumb and Maz is cheering him on.

Liam sighs, curls the fingers of his other hand into his pocket, around his phone.

"Call them," Danielle chides. At Liam's look, she adds wryly, "I used to not understand it, you know. How there's like an invisible string tied around you lot, and if you're out of each other's sight for even a day, that string starts tugging at your ankle or your wrist until you're so bloody distracted nothing helps til you hear each other's voices." 

She shakes her head but it's affectionate. "Actually, I still don't understand it, but. Go on. End and begin the year in each other's pockets. It's only right."

Laying a kiss on Liam's forehead, she squeezes his hand one more time, then slips away, drink in hand.

Liam stares down at his phone for a moment before letting a grin crack through. Already that awful nervous feeling is receding at the promise of talking to the four others who will always understand.

 _Hey Tommo_ he texts. _Avengrsssss asembleeeee!!!!_

|

The party at Louis' mansion is decidedly a smash.

Louis leans over the stairwell, surveying the crowd. There's a moon bounce and a photo booth and the music, drink, and lighting are all blurring together in the kind of dizzy whirl that people will remember the next day with either contentment or a fond kind of regret. With hundreds of people crammed into a huge space, it's such a step up from his dinky little house parties back in school that for a moment, Louis can't help the blinding flash of pride that cuts through him.

"I do like giving people a good time," he declares, knocking his glass against Eleanor's.

Eleanor giggles. "That statement might get interpreted a bit differently than you originally intended," she informs him, eyes bright from drink and mirth.

Louis grins cheekily. "I think _you_ might have wrongly interpreted my original intent, love." 

Eleanor giggles again, blessedly happy and a little drunk. Louis can't help but think how beautiful she is tonight, how nice it is to enjoy both the excesses of his celebrity life and his cute girlfriend in the same strange, sweet space.

On an impulse, he gathers Eleanor close and kisses her cheek, blowing a raspberry as she sputters in laughter. "This is the best night with the _best_ people," he says, and means it.

Downstairs, music begins. "Oooh, they're playing your song," Eleanor teases as Glad You Came starts up. (Stan probably put it on the playlist twice, the bastard.) "Shall we ring in the new year with a dance-off?" 

Louis closes his eyes, letting his head swim and his blood fizz with the pleasant after-effects of his fourth mojito. "Nah," he says softly. "Everything's perfect right here."

Eleanor rakes a hand through Louis' fringe. "Almost perfect," she corrects, smiling indulgently when he squawks in protest. She points at the wall lining the stairway, where a series of photos are hung. 

The centerpiece of the arrangement is a picture taken backstage in the dressing room before MSG, of five young lads with their arms round each other necks, heads ducked close, in a huddle. It's a candid that Louis liked so much he had it blown up and framed. And it sends a pang right through his heart as he looks at it now. He's struck by how much he wishes the others were here to enjoy this party, to see him pull off the bash of the century, to start the new year off with him and El and all the other people he loves.

"Okay," Louis admits finally, letting a small, rueful smile unfurl. " _Almost_ perfect."

Then, with a kiss and a laughter-filled blessing from Eleanor, Louis is dashing down the stairs, phone clutched in his hand.

Midnight is ten minutes away, and there's still time to ring it in right.

|

Niall's in the middle of pouring another drink when Louis thumps into him, leaping onto his back with a roar.

"Nialler!" he half-shouts, arms tangled around Niall's neck and legs hitched around Niall's hips. He's like a spider monkey, and Niall stumbles, trying to stay upright even as he pats Louis' thigh affectionately.

"What's up, Lou?" Niall asks, holding up his drink so Louis can lean over and take a sip. 

"That lager tastes like piss," Louis declares, then leaves a sloppy kiss on the tufty crown of Niall's head. "C'mon, we're calling the lads for New Year's."

Something bright and lovely spreads through Niall at the thought, imagining them curled together over Louis' phone out in his back garden, listening to the boys bicker and wish good cheer through the tinny connection, the cold London air making his and Louis' laughter twist up into the sky like smoke. 

"Yeah, alright," he says, and smiles so big his cheeks hurt. Louis slides down from Niall's back and takes his glass, plunks it down on the table with a splash. Niall thinks forlornly about the yeasty goodness being wasted on Louis' mahogany. But in the end, the allure of hanging out with his friend is far greater than mourning a lost pint.

"'M a little drunk, Niall," Louis says, leaning in with his arm in a loose circle around Niall's neck. "Just so you know."

"Same," Niall says, and his face _is_ sort of numb with the draft coming in from the open front door and the combined effect of several beers. He gives a burp. "Love you, man."

Louis squeezes Niall's nape gently. "Love you, too," he says. He shoves his phone into Niall's hand and says seriously, "Your guitarist dexterity means you're dialing, please."

Niall rolls his eyes. "Now who's swallowed a dictionary?" he asks good-naturedly, but can't help and take the phone because there's trust and anticipation and a little bit of the devil in Louis' eyes. He looks for a minute like Niall is the key to the whole universe, like he couldn't do anything at all and wouldn't even _want_ to without Niall's help, and it's that look, the look they all get some time or another when they're around each other, that makes Niall glad he chose Louis' party instead of sticking around Mullingar tonight.

"C'mon," Louis urges, though Niall doesn't need any coaxing. They're walking through the kitchen now, through long, tall double doors into the fucking _freezing_ London air. "Dontcha miss the boys?"

Niall knuckles into Louis' side, cackling as Louis curses and folds into Niall's fist, grabbing his forearm with clawlike fingers. 

"'Course I do," Niall says honestly. "I always do, when we're apart."

They hold each other like that for a second, chillbumps rising on their skin, shivering and laughing and hearts thumping in tandem with the cold. 

"Let's call 'em," Niall says finally, leaning his head into Louis' neck, raising the phone to the sky and pressing _send_. "At this rate, my balls are likely to fall off, and I wanna hear everyone's stupid voices before it happens."

Louis snorts, and Niall sticks his tongue out, and then the line is live, ringing across the country and continents.

|

The text comes just as Zayn and Perrie are snogging under a makeshift disco ball.

It's actually rather serendipitous, as Zayn's just got a long strand of curly black wig hair in his mouth and Perrie is trying in vain to shove her Catwoman mask farther up the bridge of her nose. The trill of his text makes them break away and into spasms of laughter at their collective awkwardness. Which is, honestly, one of the biggest reasons they love each other so much, Zayn supposes.

He shoots a small, smug smile at Perrie as she swipes at her lips, cleaning up her lipstick. She rolls her eyes and points to his phone with a, "Go on, it's probably one of the lads wanting to wish ya happy tidings for the new year." She tugs his belt loop, toying with his fake sword. "'ve gotta call the girls too, now that I think of it."

At this, his smile gets bigger, even more genuine. It's nice that Perrie doesn't feel the need to compete with his mates, or make him choose, like. And it's even nicer that she understands, that her eyes are lit from within with her own excitement to ring Jade and Jesy and Leigh-Anne.

"You don't care that we're not gonna kiss right at midnight?" Zayn asks, mock serious. "Only, my sisters tell me it's _dead_ romantic an' I wanna sweep you off your feet, don't I--"

Perrie laughs, loud and throaty, shoving at Zayn as he winds his arms around her waist, making to lift her up. "Get off, you loon!" she cries dramatically. "Anyway, nothing you do for me is ever gonna be half as romantic as the way you are with your dummy bandmates."

Zayn shrugs, because really, sometimes there's no other way to express love than to buy someone every copy of special edition Batman back issues that ever existed. 

"What can I say?" he asks. His eyes turn mischievous. "They stole my heart." Perrie groans and covers her face, giggling helplessly into her hand. 

"Answer yer text," she commands, faux-sternly, and turns around, swishing her fake tail. Zayn watches in appreciation as she walks away, presumably to find Jonnie or a quiet corner where she can call her own mates and wish them with a voice hushed in love and exultation.

Looking down at his phone, Zayn feels the happy bubbling inside his chest--the sheer contentment--solidify and expand until it's so big it's like he can't keep it in. A burst of laughter explodes out of him as he reads the iMessages playing out on his mobile.

 _Avengers assemble indeed Liam Payne_ says Louis. _Im Tony Stark and Nialls gotta be Thor on account of his Nordic good looks I sppose but DONT tell him I said so_

 _Im Irish you twat also your right next to me !_ interjects Niall.

 _Er ooookk_ Liam writes. _Lets get on the cnfrence line ? The 1 we use for meeting w the label ?_

_Brilliant plan Payno, someone make sure Zayn hasnt snogged his lips off as he will need them to make the sounds required to wish us all a happy 2013_

Zayn cackles. _Mouths still here sugartits_ he types. _Better watch urself tho seems like u and Niall r close 2 losing ur own lips ! aha :) x_

And then, picturing Liam giving a long suffering sigh and Louis' smacking a defiantly sloppy kiss on Niall's equally long-suffering face, he smiles, large and unabashed, and dials.

Five minutes to go. 

Zayn's had a pretty good year, but he's positive the next will be even better.

|

Harry looks at his phone sadly, the bass beat of Jay-Z thumping below his VIP balcony.

"They forgot to call me," he says, pouting. Taylor is sitting next to him, looking down at her own phone, smiling a small placating smile.

"I bet they didn't," she reassures, and tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. Not for the first time, Harry looks at her with a sense of almost reisgned bewildredment. He likes Taylor a lot, and he's okay with conducting their relationship--however new and untried and therefore a little uncomfortable it is--in the public eye if it's the only way to see her without going to ridiculous lengths of subterfuge, but...he doesn't _understand_ her. How she can be so calm in the face of criticisms, how she can turn any inward anger into outward zen and then write a fucking scathing song set to an instant pop hit melody. How she can anticipate his homesickness and impending whinge and turn it around with a flippant comment.

Her hand reaches out, slim and cool, touches his wrist. "The best friends are the ones you want to spend all the big moments with," she says. "The ones who lift you up when you're down and the ones who fly right beside you when you're up." Taylor's eyes crinkle, her smile knowing. "Plus, Louis will probably wanna make fun of me a little bit more. Ring in the new year auspiciously and all that."

Harry wants to protest that Louis wouldn't do that, but honestly, he makes fun of even the people he's supposed to love like brothers, so. Instead, Harry shrugs weakly, turns his hand around to squeeze Taylor's gratefully.

As if on cue, his phone beeps, and Harry feels that silly sense of elation take wing in his chest. "Oh," he says, pleased. "'M gonna--"

Taylor waves, giving another Mona Lisa smile, and goes back to her own mobile, bopping along to Jay-Z below.

 _Get onnnn the line Harry! Your gnna miss the REAL new yearrrrr!_ Liam texts and is joined by four others chiming in agreement.

 _No fair that you'll get to time travel w/o me_ Harry says via text. _Already in the future while I'm stuck in 2012.._

_Yes Harold, today was a fairytale...Theres no going back to December honestly I'm seeing red without you here... You belong with me...There are teardrops on my guitar_

A pause, and then Harry texts: _Wow Lou. Why you gotta be so..mean_

Niall sends an emoticon that can only be described as shit-eating and Liam gives a liberal _LOL_ and it takes Zayn a minute to puzzle it out before he's joining in with an _aha ! aha !_ but Louis only says:

_well DONE young obi wan now get on the phone so i can take the mick properly_

And at that, the sheer normalcy and banter of it all, the way that Harry can feel the love and inflection and see their smiles even through the stark black letters against blue bubbles, a tidal wave of happiness hits him.

Pressing in the familiar numbers for the conference line, already mentally counting down, Harry smiles. 

America's still got five hours to go, but his year is starting now, with his four best mates.

|

"Thought you lot had forgotten me, if I'm honest," Harry says, once the call is connected.

"Never!" is what they all say, one after another. And of course, Louis: "Never ever _ever_ , even--"

"Alright alright," Harry laughs. "Time to count down, I wager. Lead the way!"

Liam coughs. "Okay, boys. One minute left. Before we get to the big ten, I just wanna say...I'm really glad I met you all. 'Coz my life has changed and for the better. I love music and I love singing and I think it's what I was born to do, but if I couldn't do it with you lot...I wouldn't want to at all." He stops and even the silence is sheepish. "Just wanted to let you know."

Louis clears his throat, and when he speaks, he sounds a little soggy. "That was beautiful, Li. I feel. The same, of course. 'Bout all of you. And. I think that, 2013 is going to be even greater 'cause... we'll spend it all together."

Zayn chuckles. "Like, literally. All of it. Together." But he doesn't sound unhappy about it. 

"I'll teach ya how to play guitar, Harry!" Niall enthuses.

"And Harry can teach me how to woo nubile young popstars!" Louis chimes in. "Only, don't tell my girlfriend. Unless it's that Cody Simpson, I think El is into Aussies..."

They groan, because honestly, Cody Simpson? But then they laugh, because honestly: Cody Simpson.

"This is it!" Liam suddenly announces, and then he's counting and their voices are chiming in, effortlessly, miles and oceans away, but with a connection that seems to stretch limitlessly.

"10....9....8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1--"

"Happy new year!!!!" 

"Whey hey!"

"I love you lads!!!"

They're laughing and cheering and Niall's singing "WeeeEEE are never ever getting back together!!!" and Zayn is laughing hysterically and singing "Smile, Niall!" and it's a mess of inside jokes and clumsy happiness and voices climbing over each other until no one's sure who's speaking to who but it's as if they're all in the same room together.

A warmth seems to radiate down the line, and the same wide smile stretches across all of their faces.

"Hey," Harry says quietly after a moment. "We're gonna take the world by storm this year."

"Maybe we already have, Haz." Louis says. Liam makes a sound of agreement, says "Haven't we?" like he's still awed.

"Nah," Zayn says, confident as only he can be. "We've still got a ways to go, us."

"Together, though." Niall says. "We'll do it all together."

And he's right.

They will.


End file.
